( A/n: Yes... The Chapter title is a reference... I COULDN'T HELP MYSELF! Come on they are in a fairytale world and went in the woods, what was I supposed to do? Pass up a reference possibility? Never. )

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Hours have passed and Fiona has calmed down. She hangs limply while Shrek carries her and Donkey walks behind them.  Mery-Berry was gathering small flowers and started making a tiny bouquet of them as she walked beside Donkey.

Donkey: Okay, so here's another question. Say there's a woman that digs you, right, but you don't really like her that way. How do you let her down real easy so her feelings aren't hurt, but you don't get burned to a crisp and eaten? How do you do that?

Fiona: You just tell her she's not your true love. Everyone knows what happens when you find your-

Mery-Berry: I think maybe he should give her a chance. My Mama always said that if you keep trying to find your true love, you'll just get handed sad disappointments in life from that'll come from searching for that special someone instead just letting their willing to commitment in a relationship beg to differ if they are the one or not-

Shrek cuts their conversation off with a deliberate, bouncing readjustment of his hold on Fiona.

Fiona: Hey! The sooner we get to Duloc the better.

Mery-Berry: ( to Fiona, happily: ) You're going to love it, Princess. It's really pretty!

Fiona: And what of my groom-to-be? Lord Farquaad? What's he like?

Shrek: Let me put it this way, princess.

Shrek dumps Fiona to the ground unceremoniously and heads to a nearby pond to wash up.

Shrek: Men of Farquaad's stature are in... " short " supply.

Shrek chuckled and Donkey joins in.

Donkey: I dunno, Shrek. There are those who think... " little " of him.

The two laugh even harder, Mery-Berry walked in front of them with a serious expression and turned to Fiona.

Mery-Berry: Don't mind them, princess. I'm sure you two will be happy with... " little" to zero problems, with a few " small " disagreements that are normal for any relationship.

Shrek and Donkey laughed even harder while Mery-Berry had a calm and proud smile on her face.

Fiona: Stop it. Stop it, all of you. You're just jealous that you can never measure up to a great ruler like Lord Farquaad.

Shrek: Yeah, well, maybe you're right, princess. But I'll let you do the " measuring " when you see him tomorrow.

Fiona: Tomorrow?

Mery-Berry noticed that Fiona was panic-stricken, Fiona looks back fearfully at the setting sun.

Fiona: It'll take that long? Shouldn't we stop to make camp?

Shrek: No, that'll take longer. We can keep going.

Fiona: But there's... robbers ( glanced at Mery for a few seconds ) and kidnappers in the woods.

Mery-Berry: ( to self, confused: ) How is a kid taking a nap bad?

Donkey: Whoa! Time out, Shrek! Camp is definitely starting to sound good.

Shrek: Hey, come on. I'm scarier than anything we're going to see in this forest.

Fiona jumps in front of Shrek, blocking his path.

Fiona: I NEED TO FIND SOMEWHERE TO CAMP NOW!

Both Donkey and Shrek's ears lower, taken aback by her outburst, but Mery-Berry was calm about it as the outburst reminded her of the outbursts her Mama would used to get.

( Flashback )

A ginger adult she-cat standing like a human with blue eyes, wearing the periwinkle blue collar, and a burn scar on the right side of her face that looked to be only be a few weeks old. The she-cat was also wearing a blue cloak and dark blue leather boots, she was also holding a smaller and younger Mery-Berry in her arms as they were standing in front desk of a motel with a cold and intimidating glare on her face while the kitten had a sweet and gentle smile on her face.

Princess ( Mery-Berry's Mama ): ( has an American accent ) ( to the receptionist, coldly: ) One room for two.

Receptionist: ( to Princess, a bit rudely: ) Sorry, Kitty cat, we have no more rooms.

Princess then pulled out a pistol from under her cloak and fired it in the air without taking her eyes off the receptionist as the sound of a man's groan and a thud is heard in the background. On the wall behind her was a wanted poster, as she was wanted dead or alive for " 20,0000 ". Causing the receptionist to become afraid of her as she glared at him with her blue eyes.

Princess: I do believe one just opened up, so I'll say this again, and you better give me and my baby more respect. ( Shouts: ) ONE ROOM FOR TWO, NOW!

Receptionist: Y-Yes ma'am.

Princess: Good, human. Also be a dear and send us some fish sticks for my baby and I. And don't you dare forget to get us some milk. If you know what's good for you.

( In the present )

A few minutes later, Shrek is rolling a large boulder away from the mouth of a cave. While Mery-Berry was picking some wild blueberries from a bush nearby. She was using some flat stones to use as plates to equally divide the berries so everyone could have an equal amount of blueberries.

Shrek: Hey! Over here!

Donkey: Shrek, we can do better than that. I don't think this is fit for a princess.

Fiona turns her attention away from the setting sun.

Fiona: No, no, it's perfect. It just needs a few homey touches. ( She said before going to grab something )

Shrek: Homey touches? Like what?

Shrek hears a huge ripping sound and looks over at Fiona, who has torn the bark off of a tree with her bare hands.

Fiona: A door. Well, gentlemen and ( looks over at Mery-Berry, who was still picking blueberries ) kitten, I bid thee good night.

Fiona enters the cave and puts the bark door up behind her.

Donkey: You want me to read you a bedtime story? Cause I will.

Fiona: I SAID GOOD NIGHT!

Shrek looks at Donkey for a second and then reaches to move the boulder back in front of the entrance.

Donkey: Shrek, what are you doing?!

Shrek: ( laughs ) I just- you know- Oh, come on. I was just kidding.

Mery-Berry: ( Happily: ) I found dinner! Wild blueberries!

( At Night )

Later that night, Shrek, Donkey, and Mery-Berry are sitting around a campfire. They gaze up into the sky as Shrek points out certain star constellations to Donkey and Mery-Berry.

Shrek: And, uh, that one, that's Throwback, the only ogre to ever spit over three wheat fields.

Mery-Berry: Whoa...

Donkey: Right. Yeah. Hey, can you tell my future from these stars?

Shrek: The stars don't tell the future, Donkey. They tell stories. Look, there's Bloodnut the Flatulent. You can guess what he's famous for. ( Chuckles )

Mery-Berry: ( giggles ) ( happily: ) My Mama says that when someone passes on, they turn into a star to reunite with their loved ones that had already passed on. And that their stories are told within themselves as stars in the night sky.

Donkey: Alright now I know you're both making this up.

Shrek: No, look.

Shrek traces a constellation with his finger.

Shrek: There he is, and there's the group of hunters away from his stench.

Mery-Berry: Oh! ( Points at a star in the sky ) ( calmly with a smile: ) My Mama says that star is my Grandpa Garfield, she said that he got disentangled by a carriage wheel after he got badly wounded by a bear at a tavern.

Shrek and Donkey glanced at each other, as they didn't know how exactly to react to what the little kitten said.

Donkey: Uh... Man that ain't nothin' but a bunch of little dots.

Mery-Berry: ( shushes Donkey ) You'll anger the spirits! That's bad.

Shrek: Yeah, you know, Donkey, and sometimes things are more than they appear. Hmm?

Mery-Berry then yawned and she slowly began to fall asleep as Donkey and Shrek continued to talk. Once she fell asleep, she was had sinken into a dream...

( Within Mery-Berry's Dream )

Mery-Berry was now smaller and younger like in the flashback, and she was sitting at a campfire with her mother, Princess, who was cleaning her pistol.

Mery-Berry: Mama?

Princess: ( sweetly: ) Yes, cupcake?

Mery-Berry: Why is Papa not with us?

Princess's expression saddens and looks down at her pistol with a hint of betrayal in her eyes.

Princess: He was... a coward and doesn't deserve to be with us or anywhere near us, especially you, sweetie.

Mery-Berry: But why? Isn't he family? Aren't family supposed to be with each other and care for each other?

Princess: . . . Mery, promise me something...

Mery-Berry: Yes, Mama?

Princess stood up and lifted Mery-Berry's chin gently with a claw and looked at her with a serious expression.

Princess: When you're older, you stay away from men that claim to be a " lover " and not a " fighter ". If they can't be able to stay by you and fight for you, they aren't worth the trouble of giving your heart and love to them. Because they'll only leave you with taking care of something without the help and support you need to care and protect that something properly. All right? Promise me that, cupcake...

Mery-Berry: ( cutely and cluelessly, with a smile: ) Okay, Mama. I pwomise.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

That's it for this chapter, I hope you like it.

What is your opinion of Mery-Berry's mother from what you've seen or heard of her in this chapter?

Till next time my agents of mischief 😜